Every year in March, the Be Worth* Following podcast gets its leadership lessons from the world of college basketball. And boy do we have a great one for you this year. Purdue University’s Matt Painter joins us to talk about his leadership of one the nation’s most successful men’s basketball programs. When you look at the success Matt and Purdue have had, you might be tempted to think he has always confidently trusted his instincts. And you’d be wrong. Join us for a behind the scenes conversatio...
Mar 27, 2025•31 min•Ep. 73
In this episode of Be Worth* Following , Will Graham takes us inside a reality many leaders wrestle with but few openly discuss—workplace dysfunction. Once a sharp critic of workplace culture, Will unexpectedly found himself in a leadership role, facing the very challenges he had spent years analyzing. That experience, along with a near-burnout moment, reshaped his understanding of leadership, productivity, and the power of aligning people with the work that fuels them. His journey—from frustrat...
Feb 05, 2025•29 min•Ep. 72
We've added to our subscriber list over the past two years. That means there are some great episodes that some of you have missed. So to finish up 2024 on the Be Worth* Following podcast, we are doing a throwback episode from October 2022. That's when we got to visit with Tria Deibert. As the Vice President of Culture at Hackensack Meridian Health , Tria says that her job sets her soul on fire, and that she’s using the position to help others find the same excitement. Tria never expected to end ...
Dec 04, 2024•41 min•Ep. 71
In this episode of the Be Worth* Following Podcast, host Tim Spiker welcomes back for his second appearance on the show psychologist Jason Cochran. Together they take a deep dive into Jason’s original work on the four principles of connection in the workplace. This thoughtful discussion explores the strategic advantages of connection at work and includes practical applications that leaders can engage in immediately to increase connection at work for everyone they lead.
Nov 06, 2024•40 min•Ep. 70
Tim Spiker hosts Chad Johnson on the Be Worth Following Podcast, discussing how unique abilities can significantly boost leadership effectiveness. Chad, a successful entrepreneur and coach, emphasizes identifying and honing these abilities in oneself and others to create maximum value and impact. Reflecting on his own journey from homeschooling and early inspirations like Zig Ziglar to his current role with Strategic Coach, Chad shares how understanding and leveraging unique abilities has transf...
Oct 02, 2024•48 min•Ep. 69
An eye-opening episode of the Be Worth Following Podcast! Dr. Brent Fessler, Principal at Integreaters, shares what it looks like for leaders to prioritize the flourishing of their employees and company culture. Dr. Brent is an integrator, which means he helps organizations integrate values, purpose, organizational change, and character development. In this episode, Brent shares about an idea called trauma informed leadership, explores what it looks like to value employee flourishing, and talks ...
Sep 04, 2024•48 min•Ep. 68
In this episode of the Be Worth* Following podcast, host Tim Spiker sits down with Bennett Bratt, author of The Team Discovered and former Vice President of HR Talent and Organizational Capability at T-Mobile. Bennett's extensive experience has led him to develop a perspective on teams and leadership that challenges the status quo. In this discussion, Bennett shares stories and insights that will invite you rethink how teams work. If you've ever wondered what really drives team success, this epi...
Aug 07, 2024•46 min•Ep. 67
In this episode of the Be Worth* Following podcast, Christopher O'Reilly, an executive team member at the internationally-renowned Onsite Partners and leader of Milestones, joins host Tim Spiker for an insightful exploration of the intersection between mental health and leadership. Drawing from his extensive clinical experience, Christopher delves into the hidden pitfalls of multitasking and the transformative power of simply being present. He also shares a practical method for leaders to check ...
Jul 03, 2024•37 min•Ep. 67
In this episode of the Be Worth Following podcast, Christi Gordy, Founder and Executive Director of Canopy Life International, joins host Tim Spiker to share about her leadership of the organization. Canopy Life Academy is a boarding school dedicated to empowering vulnerable Kenyan children by equipping them with leadership skills, critical thinking, and innovation, aiming to lead their communities out of poverty. Christi shares key moments that impacted her leadership approach, highlighting the...
Jun 05, 2024•46 min•Ep. 66
On this episode of the Be Worth* Following podcast, Dr. Erik Hoekstra, President at Dordt University, joins Tim to share his perspectives on leadership in the unique context of a small Christian univeristy. It’s clear immediately that Erik’s deep faith has informed and shaped his approach to leadership. He believes in a human approach to leadership, not a utilitarian one, and is always eager to work back to this center when he gets off track. Erik is passionate about keeping himself accessible t...
May 08, 2024•43 min•Ep. 64
On the latest episode of the Be Worth* Following podcast, Tim sits down with Bart Wear, a former CEO whose leadership is anchored in the care of people. Throughout his career in industrial construction, Bart held firm to the belief that kindness and fairness should be the cornerstones of leadership. Even in moments of accountability, his approach was rooted in empathy and understanding. For Bart, "fair is fair for everybody," and this mantra guided every decision he made. But Bart's leadership j...
Apr 24, 2024•46 min•Ep. 63
Mark Miller joins the Be Worth* Following Podcast for the second time to share about his new book, Uncommon Greatness. Since Mark retired from Chick Fil A he has made it his second-half-of-life mission to develop extraordinary leaders. Uncommon greatness comes from uncommon leadership, characterized by a focus on others and a commitment to fundamental actions. On the podcast he shares what it looks like to make this shift to uncommon greatness and why the practical and fundamental must go togeth...
Apr 10, 2024•42 min•Ep. 62
In this episode of the Be Worth* Following Podcast, we meet Coach John Beilein, a winning coach who was "forced" into a position of growth later in his career. Coach Beilein didn’t allow his previous success to preempt changes that were needed to help his team succeed. He humbly embraced the opportunity to grow and develop. Coach Beilein’s philosophy of leadership is now anchored by his values, and focusing on relationships before results. Listen to hear why he prioritizes connection and the pro...
Mar 27, 2024•47 min•Ep. 61
We love March Madness at The Aperio. Every March Tim Spiker, a former college basketball player at Purdue and Washington University, hosts conversations with basketball colleagues and coaches who share their leadership experiences from the world of sports. On this episode of the Be Worth* Following Podcast, former professional basketball player and college coach Cuonzo Martin—aka “Zo”—shares the life experiences that led to his passion for basketball, coaching, leadership . . . and helping young...
Mar 13, 2024•41 min•Ep. 60
When it comes to leadership development, we often look for the “silver bullet”—what is the next tool or technique that can help me become a better leader? The reality is there is no silver bullet, no tip or technique that can enable exceptional leadership. In this episode of the Be Worth* Following podcast, Peter Anderton, executive coach, and keynote speaker, reminds us of some simple truths about leadership that have been around for millenia. He shares these as two rules he believes every lead...
Feb 28, 2024•47 min•Ep. 59
We often have the theme “care for your people” on episodes of the Be Worth* Following Podcast, and this episode is another one of those times. Meet Amir Ghannad , keynote speaker, founder of The Ghannad Group, and author of the book The Transformative Leader . Amir is an inspiring leader and human being, and his success story is a direct result of being Others Focused and Inwardly Sound. In this episode you will hear the extraordinary account of Amir’s younger years as well as his transition int...
Feb 14, 2024•55 min•Ep. 58
Mental models help us understand how the world works, and for leaders how leadership works. Clayton Stenson, relationship coach for visionaries and second in commands, offers a mental model to help understand the complicated relationship between a visionary leader, and their second who supports them. In this episode of the Be Worth* Following podcast, Clayton shares how visionary leaders cycle through different stages and how this affects the teams they lead, and their direct support. Additional...
Jan 31, 2024•47 min•Ep. 57
Relationships are at the heart of every organization, and on this episode of The Be Worth* Following podcast, Dr. Mary Shippy, veteran coach and leadership consultant, shares some profound yet simple ways to strengthen these relationships. Dr. Shippy uses dynamic models and principles in her coaching with relationship-building at its core. In this episode she talks with Tim about what inhibits and enables a leader’s ability to be curious, how we often write incorrect stories based on limited inf...
Jan 17, 2024•46 min•Ep. 56
Education. Middle School boys. Blacksmithing. This episode of the Be Worth* Following Podcast is a one-of-a-kind. Andrew Culp is the founder and principal of the Anvil Academy, a learning community that is focused on mentoring boys through the messy and formative years of middle school. While it may seem that education for middle school boys has little to do with leadership, Andrew’s insights are profound and applicable. In this episode you will learn the story of how Anvil was birthed and why. ...
Jan 03, 2024•55 min•Ep. 55
Wise leaders have their eyes on the future of the companies they lead. Exceptional leaders prioritize the development of future leaders now. One such leader, Gary Bridgewater, CEO at Baker Group, says this: “I want to look at this company at some point, and I actually want to have a twinge of jealousy about how good they're doing.” Gary has prioritized leadership development that aims at WHO a leader is. He has put energy, time, and money toward developing Others Focused and Inwardly Sound leade...
Dec 20, 2023•40 min•Ep. 54
Imagine a world in which businesses existed not only for profit, but also for impact and purpose. Mike Salguero, Founder and CEO of Butcherbox, launched his business for these exact reasons. But the company today is different from the one that launched, and Mike says he allowed the company to evolve in the way that it did. For Mike, leading a company is often like raising kids—you have limited control and each wants to be what it wants to be. So leaders can establish necessary guardrails, but al...
Dec 06, 2023•50 min•Ep. 53
According to our latest podcast guest, “A leader is a person who chooses to take initiative for the benefit of others.” Adam Tarnow, author, leadership coach, and podcast host, joined Tim Spiker to talk about his passion for leadership, and how emerging leaders can stand out. Adam’s own arrival into the leadership development space was quite unique, and he established his impact with a leadership development firm, a book, and a podcast. Adam asserts that there are four overarching qualities that...
Nov 22, 2023•42 min•Ep. 52
This episode will change how you think about the impact leaders have on their followers as human beings. Zach Mercurio, author, keynote speaker, and researcher, joined the Be Worth* Following podcast to share how purposeful leadership and mattering can change lives. Zach began researching the concept of “mattering” while trying to discover why some individuals lived and worked with more purpose, regardless of the kind of work they did. What he discovered has tremendous implications for leaders a...
Nov 08, 2023•54 min•Ep. 51
We believe that the message of Who* Not What applies to leaders in all parts of the world, and this episode with Frederic de Rougemont supports just that. Frederic, a former veteran CEO turned strategic advisor and consultant, has not only experienced the journey of becoming more Inwardly Sound and Others Focused, but he has made Who* Not What an explicit part of how he develops others. In this episode of the podcast, Frederic shares about his own leadership journey—how he became a more Others F...
Oct 25, 2023•49 min•Ep. 50
When it comes to diversity in the workplace, there is “an elephant in the room” that we often fail to notice. Dr. Tim Elmore, Founder of Growing Leaders, Inc, wants to bring attention to the generational gap that can often cause misunderstanding and frustration in the workplace. In this latest episode of the Be Worth* Following Podcast, Tim Spiker and Dr. Elmore talk about generational diversity—the topic of Dr. Elmore’s latest book— and how to turn frustration into fascination. Additional Resou...
Oct 11, 2023•43 min•Ep. 49
Episode Description Joel Manby is a former CEO whose leadership style was revolutionized when he discovered the astounding ROA for being a loving leader. Since this epiphany, Joel has made dramatic changes in the way he acts and talks about leadership. After serving as CEO for several decades in the auto and family theme park industries, Joel wrote Love Works: Seven Timeless Principles for Effective Leaders to share how showing love is a powerful leadership strategy. In this episode, host Tim Sp...
Sep 27, 2023•40 min•Ep. 48
Syl Trepanier is the Senior Vice President, Senior Chief Nursing officer at Providence St. Joseph Health. On this episode of the Be Worth* Following podcast, Syl talks with Tim Spiker about being a deliberate leader who looks to inspire, shows up fully present, and calls himself out (i.e., shares what areas he is personally working on). Syl is a reminder that all leaders are in process, even if they have already come a long way. Additional Resources can be found on the Be Worth* Following Podcas...
Sep 13, 2023•39 min•Ep. 46
Lee Scott is the Founder and Chief Change Agent at Unleashing Leaders, a national network of consultants and facilitators who work with willing clients to inspire what they call an “epidemic of leadership and integrity.” This episode explores the unique business model of Unleashing Leaders and their approach by working with their clients shoulder-to-shoulder. We also hear Lee’s philosophy on what produces actual change in behavior. Additional Resources can be found on the Be Worth* Following Pod...
Aug 30, 2023•51 min
Chip Toth, President and Owner at LeadersInspire is a respected people developer passionate to help individuals reach their potential and thrive personally and professionally. This episode explores the significance of meaningful interactions, being there for clients beyond business, and supporting them through challenges. Chip emphasizes the need for leaders to balance soft skills with hard outcomes, and shares experiences of delivering tough messages effectively. Listen in to uncover Chip's per...
Aug 16, 2023•36 min•Ep. 45
David Mead's journey has been guided by his profound belief in the importance of human connection and individual growth. With a genuine focus on human beings, he understands that the key to unlocking potential is by fostering an environment where people feel valued and supported. David shares his experiences working in sales, finding inspiration from Simon Sinek's powerful talk, and ultimately joining Sinek's team to develop an online course. The episode explores David's insights on balancing em...
Aug 02, 2023•40 min
